Process of filling molds and the like.



L. GONKLING. L PROCESS 0F FILLING MOLDS AND rLHB LIKE.

A'PLIUATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1910.

1,111,736. Patented sept.`29,1914.

qm 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. Je

I. L. GONKLING.

PROCESS 0F FILLING MOLDS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATIOB FILED SElT. 22. 1910. n 1,1 l 1,736. v Patented sept. 29.1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IRA L. CONKLING, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS 0F FILLING MOLDS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1214:.

' Application filed September 22, 1910. Serial No. 583,257.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IRA L. CONKLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Process of Filling Molds and the like, of which the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in processes for filling moldsl with clay or similar stiE plastic material to be molded, and'has for its object to provide an improved yprocess of molding such material whereby the material will be properly compacted and by means of which the molds may be loaded with the molding material more expeditiously, efficiently and uniformly than has heretofore been possible.

Vith these and other objects in-view my invention consists in the novel step, manipulations and modes of procedure hereinafter described and then particularly pointed lout in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings wherein the same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever' it occurs, and wherein I have illustrated a machine capable of carrying out my process, which machine is the subject of my application Serial N o. 588,258 filed of even date herewith, Figure 1 is an elevation of the preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2, 2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a detail view of the container for the material to be molded and a portion of the conduit leading therefrom, said parts being broken away on one side to more clearly show the construction; Fig.- 4

is an enlarged central section of the conduit and nozzle andFig. 5 is a detail-perspective vview of the nozzle with the parts thereof shown in separated, relation.

l0 designates varing from which depends a funnel shaped conduit portion 11, the ring being suspended from the lower end 12, of a hydraulic cylinder 13, by means of the bolt rods 14. 1.5 designates a secondhydraulic cylinder mounted on the upper end of the cylinder 13, the piston rod 16 of which is connected to any suitable supporting device which, for the purpose of illustration, is `shown as being provided vwith an eye v17 engaged by a supporting pend from a traveling support, or may1 'be vsuspended in any other manner desired.

' lQVdeSignates a pipe which connects with vhook 18 that may de-4 the upper end of the cylinder' 15. The 19 is shown as extending down to a Thead 19 and connected to one side of the T is a valve 20 communicating with the hydraulic pressure pipe 2l. 22 is a valve connected'to the other side of the T head and communieating with the hydraulic outlet or'eXhaust pipe 23.

. 24 is a pipe leading from the bottom of the cylinder 15 to the exhaust or outlet pipe 23. By the foregoing construction it will be seen that when pressure is admitted to the upper end of the cylinder by opening the valve 20, the piston is driven down in the cylinder and the machine consequently raised. When the valve 20 is closed and the valve 22 opened the pipe 19 is connected to the exhaust 23 when the wei ht of the machine will operate to force the uid out of the cylinder andintothe exhaust thus permitting the machine to lower. The pipe 24 is merely to prevent pressure end of the cylinder.

Connected to the ends are the pipes 25 and 26, and from each end of of the cylinder 13 the flow of fluid to the cylinder being controlled by means of the four-way valve 27 in the ordinary manner, whereby the pistoni-od 28 carrying the piston 29 on its lower end may be raised and lowered for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Mounted upon the ring 10 is the container 30 for the molding material, the container being shown as an open ended cylinder having handles 31 by means of which it can be readily removed from and placed in position on the ring 10.v The ring vided with a pair of pins 32 which project up from one side of the ring, and on the other side I provide a sliding pin or bolt 32' whereby the lower end of the cylinder is held 1n proper position. The clay to be molded is packed into the cylinder before it is placed in position, and the cylinder can then be picked up and placed in position without the clay falling therefrom.

33 isa ring supported on the rods 14 above the container 30 by means of the perforated lugs 3i and set' 'screws' 35 passing through the lugs and into which the piston 29 enters at the upper end of its movement. The ring 33 is shown as provided with a p ir of downwardly extending lugs 33 on one side of the ring and a sliding bolt 33 on the other side,

whereby the upper end of the cylinder is in proper position'.

As I form the ring Pire' is shown as proin the lower CIK vter into the conduit.

As'will be readily understood when the lever 27 of the four-way valve 27 is operated in the proper direction pressure will be admitted above the pisto-n in the cylinder 13, the piston 29 will move down throughthe container 30 and force the clay through the conduit 11. After all the material is out of the container the lever 27 is moved in the reverse direction whereby the piston 29 fis withdrawn from the container when the d and adapted to be screwed into the collar 42.

container can be removed from position and either refilled, or a previously filled container substituted.

In order that the nozzle may be moved to any position desired I connect to the lower end of the conical shaped conduit portion 11 a series of short curved sections; of pipe 39, which are coupled together to rotate one upon the other by any suitable means.

` 40 indicates a short section of pipe screw threaded into the lower end of the conical conduit 11, the pipe being formed with a liange 4l having a collar 42 extending therefrom. The end of the section 39 to be connected to the section 40 is provided with an 'outwardly extending flange 43, the face of which is adapted to seat against the packing 44, located between the flanges 41 and 43. 45 is a ring surrounding the section 39 Preferably, and as shown,-I provide shallow grooves in the adjacent faces of the ring 45 and the `flange 43 forming a raceway for `the balls 46, whereby the 'parts may turn easily.

47 is an L-shaped plate provided with a projection 48 adapted to engage one of the openings 49 in the outer face of the ring the plate being secured to the iange 42'by Vmeans of the screw 50. The holes 49, in addition to forming the meansfor locking the ring also provide a means adapted to be engaged by a Spanner when it is desired to take the sections apart. The other joints between the sections are constructed in identically the same manner and need no further description. The end section 39 of the conduit is preferably screw threaded and is provided ywith a tip 5l, preferably provided with a conical inner wall 52 to,` reduce the diameter of the opening in the conduit.

The particular form of nozzle I have illustrated comprises a tubular section 53 screw other Lindas threaded into the end of the tip 51 onto which is threaded the annular casing 54 having an enlarged annular space 55 connected by means of pipes 56, 57 with a suitable source of Huid under pressure, such for instance as compressed air, and 64 is a cock for controlling the lllow.

58 is a. conical cap screw threaded onto the end of the casing 54, said cap surrounding the end of the pipe 53. y

59 is a tip threaded onto the end of the Icap 58, said tip at' its lower end being pro- `vided with an opening 60 throughwhichv the in'aterial'is discharged.

' G1' is a rubber washer having a perforation (32 therethrough of smaller vdiameter' than the opening 60 but in line therewith,

'and.63 is a metallic washer interposed between the rubber washer and'the end ofthel conical cap 5S to hold the washer'tl in position. The purpose of the rubberwasher'l is to accommodate portionsjof clayof different sizes, as it, is obvious that byreason of the flexibility and lexpansibility oft-herubber the particles of kdlerent sizes may pass therethrough, and further 'that'.e the quantity of clay discharged will tincrease asv the air pressure and the, rate of'feedof the 'opening' accommodates itself to the'amount of material passing therethrough.

The minute discharge opening, in conjunction with the compressed air whichcom- 'ma'triali's increased, 'sothat the sizeof the* mingles with the clay to be molded at th@- delivery end of the pipe 53 breaksup the material into minute particles and delivers the same from the nozzle jwith great velocity.

In theoperation of the machine' a'cylinder 30 filled with clay, or similarstifi" plastic 'materialto be molded is placed in position on thering 32. The machineis adjusted to 'bring the nozzle in pro eri'relation'to. thel mold,'or other receiver or the material, by means of the hydraulic cylinder 15, a'mold being indicated at G5. Hydraulic pressure is now admitted into the 'upper end of the cylinder 13 .to force the piston 3Q into the cylinder 3Q, thus forcing the clay through' the conical conduit 11 andthe flexible sections 39 into the nozzle. 'Compressed air 'or fluid runder ressure is. admitted through thcpipe 57 into the annular space 55, which discharges the clay through the discharge end of the nozzle in minute particles having great velocity, the clay leaving the nozzle in the form of a spray. By moving the nozzle around, which movement is permitted by the jointed sectionsof the conduit, and the movement of the entire machine, which can swing freely because it is suspended by the eye 17, the clay may be directed in any desired direction to the surfaces of the mold. lt is found that when so introduced into a mold it adheres much more closely to the surface of the mold and presents a much sharper outline when removed from the mold than where the mold is packed by hand. In addition the mold can be much more rapidly filled and an absolutely homogeneous mass obtained.'

It is to be understood that this process can be carried out by any other machine, and that the machine herein shown and described is only for the purpose of illustrating one means for carrying out the process.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The method of filling molds with clay or similar stiff plastic material, which consists in confining a mass of-clay or similar stiif plastic material, subjecting the mass to heavy pressure to force the same in a small stream, subjecting said extruded material at the point of extrusion to a strong blast flowing in substantially the line of extrusion, Whereby the clay or similar sti plastic material will be "impelled under the force of the blast into the mold with great velocity and in a finely comminuted condition.

- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IRA L. CO-NKLING. Witnesses:

MARY V. OBRIEN, Jos. J.' FREDERIcKsoN. 

